Hi there. Thank you very much for helping. This is a total newbie question. I've searched loads online and through the help files but am totally stumped.

I have three layers in my project - audio, a short WMV as the background, and some simple text.

To start with the 'Aparition' fast blur effect is used, which runs for a few seconds.

I then want a gap and (for example) the 'Shatter' effect to start at, say, 6 seconds.

Currently I can add both effects, but the length of the blur seems unchangeable and no matter where I look or what I mess with I just cannot get the 'Shatter' effect to start anywhere but 00:00:00:00!

Thanks for your time - it's very much appreciated.

Chris Thorn

Mylenium

02 February 2006, 05:49 AM

Hi there. Thank you very much for helping. This is a total newbie question. I've searched loads online and through the help files but am totally stumped.

I have three layers in my project - audio, a short WMV as the background, and some simple text.

To start with the 'Aparition' fast blur effect is used, which runs for a few seconds.

I then want a gap and (for example) the 'Shatter' effect to start at, say, 6 seconds.

Currently I can add both effects, but the length of the blur seems unchangeable and no matter where I look or what I mess with I just cannot get the 'Shatter' effect to start anywhere but 00:00:00:00!

Thanks for your time - it's very much appreciated.

Chris Thorn

That's what keyframing is for... Text layers use so-called "animators". If you twirl down your layer and reveal its properties, you surely will see some keyframes. Just push them around in time until your animation looks like what you're after. Shatter can be controlled by animating the Strength parameter of the force fields.

Mylenium

christhorn

02 February 2006, 01:46 PM

Ahh... thank you very much. I take it by 'twirl down' you mean click the little arrow to expand the sub features...

I will give it a shot later. I noticed markers on the timeline - like the I-bar cursor in word processing - but don't think I was messing with quite the right part.

Kind regards,

Chris Thorn

DLangley

02 February 2006, 06:56 PM

In the Effects control you have four controls under Force 1 and Force 2. Force 2 allows you to have a second instance of force hitting your layer, otherwise they function the same.

Position: is the x,y coordinates of the center of the force; which is represented as a sphere.
Depth: is the position of the center of the force in z space.
Radius: is the diameter of the force.
Stengh: is the relative power of the shatter relected in the movement of the shattered pieces not the force itself.

At time zero set a keyframe for the depth parameter; right click the keyframe and select toggle hold keyframe. This will keep the depth parameter wherever you set it until it reaches the next keyframe.
Move to the time when you want shatter to happen and set another keyframe.
Now, set the View otion to Wireframe & Forces.You will see the white wireframe which represents the layer and the blue wireframe sphere which represents the force.
Go down to the Camera parameter and rotate the camera on the y axis 60-90 degrees. Now you can better judge depth and see the reaction of moving the force in z space. Scrub depth back and forth into, through and away from the layer. You will see how the force impacts the layer.
With the current time marker at time zero scrub depth until it is not affecting the layer. Move the current time indicator to the shatter keyframe and then scrub the depth until it gets to 0.0 or where you want the shatter to stop.
Rotate the camera's y position back to zero and change the View setting to Render.
Set the current time marker at zero and roll the animation. You will get a sudden explosion at the shatter time. To have a more deliberate shatter from the center out toggle off the hold keyframe and just set depth far enough back so that it hits the layer at the shatter time keyframe.

Shatter it a 3D effect so you can have the camer fly around and through the shattered piecs and other cool things like that. It is the camera position that determines if you see explosion or implosion; so, positive or negative values for depth are relative to camera position. The effect can even use a comp camera or corner pinning, but this post is long enough as it is. Hope this helps, good luck and have fun!

christhorn

02 February 2006, 08:27 PM

Wow thank you so much! I literally just got it working (changing the starting time with the Radius property). I shall mess around with the camera position though because that sounds cool!

Once again, many thanks indeed for helping!

Best wishes,

Chris

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